Say What You Mean

Did you follow all this brouhaha about the “feeling fat” emoji on Facebook? In case you aren’t up to date on these kinds of things, Facebook has an option to express how you’re feeling using little smiley faces. And some people took offense to the fact that one of them is a chubby-faced, rosy-cheeked, doubled-chinned fella you can pick if you want to say you are feeling fat.

Is the blushing because he's embarrassed?
Is the blushing because he’s embarrassed?

Those people started a petition to get the emoji removed because fat is not a feeling, it is a physical state. Here’s part of the petition:

When Facebook users set their status to “feeling fat,” they are making fun of people who consider themselves to be overweight, which can include many people with eating disorders. That is not ok. Join me in asking Facebook to remove the “fat” emoji from their status options.

Fat is not a feeling. Fat is a natural part of our bodies, no matter their weight. And all bodies deserve to be respected and cared for.

Sixteen thousand signatures later, the petition was declared a success: Facebook removed the emoji. Now, if you want to keep whatever faith you have left in humanity, do not look up any articles about this and read the comment sections. If you do, you’ll see bunk like this:

Sir, you could not be more wrong about why this emoji had to go.
Sir, you could not be more wrong about why this emoji had to go.

So, how you feel about this whole thing? Do you think fat is a feeling? I don’t. I think fat is a physical state. I think “feeling fat” is a poor vocabulary choice, and what people usually mean when they say it is that they are feeling full, that they ate too much. Why can’t you just use those words? Because whether I eat a small salad or a giant honkin’ burrito, I’m still gonna be fat. It’s not a feeling that passes. I totally get why this is a controversial thing, how some people think this is political correctness run amok. Me? I’m on the side of people learning to express themselves in more accurate ways.

Which makes me think about another way in which I wish people would stop beating around the bush and say what they mean: online dating. If I have to read one more profile that says a man is looking for someone “fit” who “cares about her health,” my head will explode. Because what that translates to, I’m more than willing to bet, is: “thin.” I mean, if I respond to that ad, am I being deceptive, because I should know he’s using “fit” as a code word for “thin,” or is he being deceptive because he can’t just say what he’s really looking for because he’s afraid he’ll offend someone? Sorry, I’m more offended by this. I would much rather a profile say straight up that a guy is only interested in thin women. Then neither of us will waste our time.

What do you think? Do people not say what they really mean out of fear of offending someone? Do you say what you mean? Do you think fat is a feeling? Sound off in the comments!

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